Ride of Silence - Our Part in a Global Event to Honor Fallen Cyclists
With Contributions from Eleni Jacobson and Diane Solomon
Ride of Silence is an annual event held internationally to advocate for greater traffic safety on city streets. This year, seven countries are observing Rides of Silence by holding over 130 rides scheduled between May 12th and May 18th.
WHEN: Saturday, May 18, 11:00 am
WHERE: The Ride will start at Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San José, CA.
WHAT: The San José Ride of Silence (see Facebook event here) is a silent bicycle ride that honors by remembering those who have been killed or seriously injured while biking on public roadways. A short opening ceremony will be held before the Ride begins.
WHY: San José’s annual traffic fatalities exceed its homicides. In 2023 there were 36 homicides and 49 traffic fatalities. According to staff with the City of San Jose’s Vision Zero program, of the 49 traffic fatalities, over half of those killed were people walking or biking.
This ride raises awareness about cycling and pedestrian safety and serves to remind motorists to share our city’s roadways. It also celebrates those who make bicycling and walking a part of their lives.
CONTACT: Brandon Alvarado, International President of the Ride of Silence. Email: probicycleconsulting@gmail.com; Call: (619) 300-5634
SPEAKERS: On May 18th, the San José Ride of Silence kick-off ceremony will include words from:
District 9 City Councilmember Pam Foley, member of the City of San José’s Transportation and Environment Committee and chair of the City’s Vision Zero Task Force;
Community Member Gina LaBlanc, whose son Kyle was killed while walking in a bike lane by a man driving a tow truck on Curtner Avenue;
And Jessica Zenk, Deputy Director of the City of the Planning and Project Delivery Division of the City of San José Department of Transportation.
The City’s Vision Zero Team will pass out free helmets and safety gear with information about Vision Zero.
The Ride will be held in silence and will be monitored for safety and supported by volunteers from the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.
Related Newsworthy Issues:
1] On April 3rd, 2024 SJ Spotlight published Pam Foley's piece, “The Future of Traffic Safety in San José”. Relatedly, SVBC published a blog examining the Task Force dissolution and comparing San José’s efforts to the Vision Zero efforts in Fremont, CA
2] In 2019, SJ Spotlight reported on the wrongful death settlement the City paid to the family of Kyle LaBlanc. Gina LaBlanc, Kyle's mother, will be a speaker at the May 18th Ride of Silence. Largely unknown is that Mr. LaBlanc was walking in a bicycle lane when he was hit and killed by a car. His death points out the peril that pedestrians and cyclists face within our City.
3] Since 2010, SVBC has published commentary on upwards of 20 tragic and preventable losses in our communities. For a complete list of our remembrances and expositions, please click here.
4] In 2022, after the deaths of Narinder and Kuljit Kaur on Ocala Ave., SVBC wrote about the importance of advocating for improved land use and road diets in our efforts to save lives. From that blog post: “Any given Tuesday night, a City Council is faced with a council chamber full of angry drivers, all complaining that the removal of on-street parking, the inclusion of bike lanes, the widening of sidewalks, will slow down their ability to get from A to B as fast as they think they deserve. The end result is people die.
Our position and our plea is consistent. The blog concludes with an urge that has not changed in SVBC’s 30 years of existence:
Please show up. Get involved. Push your elected representatives to design streets with safety of bicyclists and pedestrians in mind. It makes the streets safe for everyone. Click here to get involved.”